After 20 years of Xbox controllers I switched to the Dualsense.... story time; help needed

[YautjaPrime]

I have always been more comfortable with the logistics of a controller. My hand and fingers know exactly where every button is on a controller, I don't have to think about where the correct button for said action is, no fumbling, no need to look down at the device... Sure, I have been PC gaming since 1999 and am very comfortable on it but I have never been really good at instinctively knowing where some of the keys are... Like if I have to press "M" for map or "I" for inventory I have always needed to look down at my keyboard... I bought a mouse with 22 bindable buttons so that i can easily get to the keys that give me the most difficulty (honestly it seems like over the years I don't have the same dexterity in my hands that I used to)

I rotated in XB controllers along side of KBaM for about 20 years. Some games just feel better on a controller. I bought one of the Xbox 360 wired controllers back in 2005 because at the time is was basically impossible to hook up a DualShock 3, or at least, I didn't know how. It was always said that only Xbox controllers offer full compatibility for Windows PC's so I just never really considered any other option, never saw a need to - controllers (until recent years) just were not ideal for shooters, but felt better for certain games.... XB controllers just work - no special software, no virtual controllers, just plug it in and play - it works on every game that offers controller support regardless of launcher. All the features work - as easy as it can get.

I never realized it until I made the switch, but XB controllers are just downright primitive compared to the Dualshock 4 and the Dualsense. I mean has their controller changed AT ALL since the Xbox One aside from cosmetics and paddles? Gyro aiming, and haptic feeedback, are massive GAME CHANGERS, I'm not sure how I feel about the triggers.... Years ago, and even today some people will say "Controllers cannot compare to mouse and keyboard, they will never be equal or superior". I think that's wrong now, gyro\flick are absolutely on equal footing with KBaM - even without aim assist.

As someone who has ZERO exposure to the PS controller ecosystem on PC - I am absolutely impressed by this emerging input method - I want it in every shooter I play - but I have a problem. I'm confused and frustrated as well... These are the petty questions I have. Can someone please explain this to me like I am 5 years old?

• I don't see a lot of people using Bluetooth on these controllers - seems like wired is the defacto standard...
• Does Bluetooth just not work for native DualSense? Seems like even games with native support don't work via Bluetooth, but if i emulate an XB controller, Bluetooth works fine
• Does the DualSense work in games that natively support DualShock? (minus the DualSense exclusive features)
• How on EARTH do I get rumble working correctly in games that only offer rumble and not actual haptic support

There are like 5 different big name tools for Dualsense - DSX, DS4Windows, Rewasd, Joyshock Mapper, and Steam input. There are also just SO MANY ways to set this up. I have tried all kinds of combinations of settings with these pieces of software - each one has a different feel to the rumble and is most often barely even noticeable. Each has a feature that is better implemented in one place or another. DS4Windows so far has given me the most success in reproducing rumble\haptics. It isn't my favorite, but its seemingly working well. I disable the virtual controller and put it native mode so that no emulated controller is created. Basically all customization is disabled or set to passthrough mode; it really only handles haptics and LED's. Steam still sees it as a native Dualsense, then I enable Steam input to get access to all the awesome granular controls they offer for controller configs. I would prefer not to put an additional layer of software when Steam does basically everything I want. As it stands when the input is made on the controller, its passed through DS4Windows, then to Steam input and finally to the game. There isnt any introduced latency or any other issues as far as I can tell.
Steam Input alone would be my preferred method but the rumble\haptics just feel way too subtle even when turned to high\max in steam input. If I can solve the Steam rumble problem - I probably wouldn't be posting this right now lol.

perhaps I am doing this wrong or over complicating it? any help, tips or advice are appreciated.

 

[Colif]

the answers given in this post might help

https://forums.pcgamer.com/threads/...d-feedback-on-the-options.144799/#post-386975

 

[YautjaPrime]

LOL I was the OP on that thread - they actually recommended I look here at Tom's hardware

This has been a complicated endeavor - mostly because I am just way too curious and I like to try all the options and then pick what fits best. There doesn't really seem to be a concise answer on exactly which features work in what re-mappers, the basic method in which the feature works, and the prerequisites or exceptions for said feature... its nothing like physics or rocket science - but definitely a learning process. There are several software options and they all kind of do the same thing (but not really) each is vastly different from the other. Perhaps I'll compile all my findings into a video or thread that might be helpful to others who want to make the switch as well but are intimidated by the setup. This is part of why I have always avoided PS controllers and stuck with XB controllers over the years; there was nothing to learn, no complicated layers of software. It just worked in every game without having to master an entire software suite and spend HOURS fine tuning.

all things said - I only have about 30 hours of playtime on it but it has been worth the work to learn it. It is already very clear that I have been doing it wrong by sticking with XB all this time lol. I will never go back to an XB controller. I cant even look at my elite v2 anymore. The concept of playing a game on controller and aiming with the stick just doesn't exist in my world after experiencing gyro for the first time lol.... because its so new to me it has a really big novelty factor, I find myself more and more grabbing my controller over KBaM (even for shooters) at this time

Still very happy with the purchase despite the under use of the features that really make the DualSense unique. It really seems like if you want to use all of the native features the controller offers as they were intended to work\feel, the developer must choose to bake it in and you cannot truly reproduce that functionality correctly. Using something like DS4 or DSX can "emulate" the behavior - but its not true haptic feedback and triggers; its a static feedback that doesn't change based on game events. If i set my trigger to "rifle" its the same feedback with every weapon and every pull of the trigger... if I have a melee weapon, the trigger still kicks like I'm shooting a firearm.

The goal of "I really enjoy this feature and want to have full haptic support in every game" is just not going to come to fruition without developer adoption. Its a shame, IMO the features really do add another level of immersion. When you happen to stumble across a game that uses all the features natively it is the best experience I have ever had playing a game on controller.